Combined seat, table, and walking unit for infants



Oct. 27, 1959 2,910,111

COMBINED SEAT, TABLE AND WALKING UNIT FOR INFANTS 5. 5. HANSBURG INVETOR GEO/P655. 4591103020:

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 BY v flag 44 ATTORNEYS.

COMBINED SEAT. TABLE AND WALKING UNIT FOR INFANTS Filed Dec. 20, 1957 Oct. 27, 1959 .s. B. HANSBURG 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS.

- or table portion supported on legs above the floor.

United States Patent O 2,910,111 COMBINED SEAT, TABLE, AND WALKING (FOR INFANTS George B. Hansbnrg, Walker Valley, Application December 20, 1957, Serial No. 704,063 3 Claims. c1. 155-22 This invention relates to the art of infants furniture and more particularly to a combined seat, table and walking unit. a

It is among the objects of the invention to provide a combined seat, table and walking unit which isneat, compact, relatively light in weight and though it may readily be collapsed for ease in transportation, is sturdy and long lasting and which, in addition to having utility during feeding of the infant, will provide a secure support for the infant seated therein, yet will permit the infant to walk in any desired direction while supportinga portion of its weight to take the strain off its legs.

According to the invention, the unitcomprises a pan? seat is positioned in an opening in the center of thepanel and is so suspended that it may readily be-rotated in a complete circle and pivot to enable the infants feet to reach the floor so that it may walk with a portion of its weight supported by the seat suspension.

In the accompanying drawings in which are shown one or more of various possible embodiments of the several features of the invention, 7 t

1 Fig. 3, and

Fig. is a perspective view of a leg mounting bracket. Referring now to the drawings, the unit comprises a table surface, desirably a circular panel 10 ofany suittantly spaced around the periphery 42 of opening 41. The

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openings 33 and as shown in Fig. 4, a stud 35 is adapted to extend through an opening 33 in tube 13 aligned with anyone of said openings 33, said stud being urged outwardly by a spring 36 positioned in tube 13 so that the inner tube 13 may be adjusted to desired position with respect to outer tube 14 and releasably locked in position by stud 35 to adjust the height of the panel 10. The lower end of each of the tubes 13 has a caster 38 mounted thereon to facilitate movement of the unit.

The panel 10 is provided with a large opening 41 in its center, preferably circular as shown, to accommodate the infant, the periphery 42 of said opening 41 desirably having a strip 43 of resilient material afiixed thereto to prevent injury to the infant, who will rest on a seat 45 accessible through said opening.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the seat 45 desirably comprises a substantially rectangular plate of rigid material which may readily be cleaned and which is conformed at its forward edge 46 to accommodate the legs of an infant seated thereon.

The seat is supported so that it may readily be rotated in opening 41 and may readily tilt to facilitate use of the unit as a walker.

To this end, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, a plurality of L-shaped brackets 47 are provided, preferably equidishorizontal legs 48 of said brackets 47 are secured as by screws 49 to the undersurface of panel 10 inwardly of the periphery 42 and extending radially of said opening 41. Secured to the lower end of each of the vertical legs 51 of brackets 47, are flanged rollers 52, said rollers bein arranged in a circle, as shown in Fig. 3. V v

Riding on said rollers 52 is a supporting ring 53 of rigid material such as steel which has its lower edge 54 straddledby the flanges on rollers 52 and its upper edge as by riveting, to the side edges of plate and the other able rigid material which may readily be cleaned to remove food particles, liquids and dirt, said panel 10 having a strip 11 of resilient material around its periphery to define a bumper.

The panel 10 is supported by four legs 12, each comprising a pair of telescoped tubes 13 and 14, each of the upper ends 15 of the outer tubes 14 being releasably secured in a bracket 16' afiixed to the undersurface of panel 10 adjacent its periphery and designed to hold the legs 12 so that each extends outwardly at a slight angle from the vertical to provide added stability to the unit.

As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, each of the brackets 16 comprises a split sleeve portion 21 with diametrically opposed fingers 22, with openings 23 therein through which screws 24 may be inserted to secure the fingers 22 to the panel 10. Extending radially outward from sleeve portion 21 are parallel flanges 25, each with an outwardly extending lip 26 which have openings 27 through which screws 28 extend to secure said lips 26 to the panel.

The upper end 15 of the tube 14 is located in split sleeve portion 21 and secured therein by the tightening .of bolt 31 which extends through flanges 25.

The tube 14 is provided with longitudinally spaced diametrically opposed strips 58 and 58 are secured to the front and rear edges of the seat, respectively aligned with the center thereof.

The panel 10 on its upper surface is provided with a circular rail 61 supported onupstanding posts 62 and which slidably mount blocks .63 for the amusement of the infant.

In the use of the unit above described, the length of the legs 12 are adjusted so that when the infant is seated 'on the plate 45 with the latter in horizontal position, the four strips 58 will equally support the weight of the infant with its feet slightly spaced from the floor.

If the infant should want to walk, its normal action will be to attempt to stand which will require that the infant slide forward on the plate 45. As a result, the two central strips 58 will act as a pivot for the plate 45 and as the major force will then be exerted against the front edge 46 of the plate 45, such front edge will move downwardly, the strip 58', which now supports substantially the entire weight of the infant, readily yielding. The infant will then be able to walk and since its weight is partially supported by the strips 58 and 58 such walking action will be facilitated as the infants legs will not have to support its entire weight.

If the infant wishes to change its direction of movement, this may be readily accomplished, for only the ring 53 mounted on rollers 52 will have to be rotated, and not the entire unit, and when the infant has turned so that it is facing in the desired direction, its forward ad- When the infant is tired and wishes to be seated, as it lowers its body, it will also move backwardly. As a -result, the-.rearzstrips SSF -Wlll again-take ,up the weight of .the..infant,' as will the side strips 58 :and thefrontstrip 58 ,;.I3.l'.ld the strength of the four strips lis sufiicient to :retain the infant in seated position with its feet spaced from the floor.

-. By'reason of the .front strip 58 positioned between .the legs of the infant, it cannot slide off the seat and there-:is. .no danger: of injury.

To facilitate. feeding of the infant, it.is desirable to 1..provide a leg rest 65 which will retainthe feet of the infant away from thezfloor.

..,As;.shown"in:Figs. 2a1and 2b, .the'leg rest 65 may :include aleg support 66 comprising a pair of angle bars 67"which are pivotallyimounted at one of their ends as at 68 to brackets 69 secured to seat 45 near its forward edge 46, a plate 71 of rigid material being secured to the .angle bars 67. and extending transversely thereacross.

. foot support 73is designedto extend substantially at right angles from plate 71 and may be pivoted inwardly from such .positiontoxextend parallel to said plate 71.

. In order to retain thev leg rest 65 in operative position, a stop member 76 is secured to the undersurface of plate 71, said member 76 having a plurality of inclined slots 77 with which coacts the cross piece of a pivoted U-shaped detent 78.

The leg rest may readily be moved to inoperative position by pivoting the foot support 73 against plate 71 and then releasing the detent 78 from slots 77 so that the leg support 66 may be pivoted parallel to the under surface of seat 45. When thisis done, the detent 78 which had been previously aligned with thespace be tween the pivots 68 and the adjacent edge of-plate 71 isthen pivoted also to extend parallel to seat 45- beneath the leg support 66. A latch 81 is pivotally mounted to the 'seat 45 releasably to retain the leg rest in inoperative position.

With the construction above described,- a highly useful unit is-provided which has utility as afeeding unit, an

- exerciseunit and as a play-tableand which may readily be cleaned so that it will remain in sanitary condition.

As many'changes could be made in the above-construction and many apparently widelydifferent embodiments of this "invention could be made without departing from thescope of.-the claims,- it is intended'that all matter vance-isreadily accomplished by reason of"the casters .on legs 12. .of the unit.

contained in the above descrip ion, or shown in the accompanying drawings, shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A table having a circular opening in the top surface thereof, said opening being of an area considerably .lessthamthe. remaining area of the table, a plurality of 'legs' supporting saidrtable; each of'said legs having a roller at the lower end'thereof, a circular support, means mountingasaidasupport beneath said table for rotation thereofmabouLan axis. at right angles to said table, the periphery of said circular opening extending inwardly beyond the meansmounting said' support, a seat, a plurailty of flexible elongated members each having one end secured to said seat and spaced therearound and their other end secured to said support normally to retain the seat in substantially horizontal position parallel to the plane: ofthe table and normally aligned with said opening, and a leg rest mounted on said seat for movement to operative position to receive the feet of the user a and to-inoperative position beneath said seat and extend- 7 positions.

ing substantially;parallel thereto and means releasably to locksaiddeg .rest in both operative and inoperative 2. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which said .g'ated members. are resilient and secured at one end to said seat to the-front and rear edges'thereof midway between the side edgesand to the side edges thereof.

3. The combination set forth in claim 2 in which the outer periphery .of saidtable and the periphery of said opening each has an annular resilient member secured thereto.

I References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED' STATES PATENTS 8,478 Rice Oct. 28, 1851 509,991 Wood Dec. 5, 1893 612,278 Schlunz Oct. 11, 1898 631,889 Friedersdorlf Aug. 29, 1899 899,030 Davis Sept. 22, 1908 1,176,048 Gentilella Mar. 21, 1916 1,688,922 Drinosky- Oct. 23, 1928 2,312,602 Taylor Mar. .2, 1943 2,505,310 .Thompson Apr- 25, 1950 2,725,094 Goldblatt Nov. 29,1955

FOREIGN PATENTS :1 438,298 Italy Aug. 3, 1948 

